FDA rebuts criticism of government plan to set ADI of ractopamine

2012/04/22 21:30:42

Taipei, April 22 (CNA) An allegedly proposed acceptable daily intake (ADI) of the leanness-enhancing drug ractopamine, which was criticized by several consumer groups Sunday, is just a consensus reached in a food safety evaluation meeting, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Director-General Kang Jaw-jou said that day.

According to the Consumers' Foundation, the FDA's plans to propose one microgram per kilogram of body weight as a safe ADI level for human consumption is unscientific and lacks credibility.

Responding to the criticism ahead of a legislative committee review set for the following day on the food safety law related to beef imports containing ractopamine residue, Kang said the figure was only a consensus reached among experts in a meeting that took place April 11.

The ADI, according to Kang, is required to calculate the maximum residue limits of drugs or things such as pesticides.

While one microgram is the ADI level accepted by Japan and Australia, Kang said the Department of Health is likely to adopt a level lower than that.

He added that the department will not set maximum residue limits for ractopamine until the process of amending the food safety act has been completed.

Taiwan currently bans the use of ractopamine in animal feed and stipulates that no residue of the drug is permissible in either domestic or imported meat products.